Squaw Valley ski resort is planning to keep its KT-22 chairlift open until 7 p.m. on May 20 to celebrate the iconic lift’s latest closing in history, the resort announced on its Facebook page Friday.

The lift normally closes at 4 p.m., so the overtime will allow skiers and snowboarders to take runs until just before sun sets over Lake Tahoe.

“We’ve received 721 (inches) of snow so far this season, second only to 810 inches in 2010-11, when KT-22 operated through May 8,” the resort’s Facebook post said. “KT-22 is anticipated to close on May 20 due to conditions, but we will continue to assess for the possibility of further operations as we are committed to offering terrain as long as conditions allow.”

Its expert terrain features cliffs, chutes and steep pitches that inspire people to challenge themselves and push the limits. And it also inspires music – Eric T. Brandt, or “Eric T.,” released a single called “I Love KT” last year. The hard-charging rock track opens with the lyrics, “Every morning, it’s all the same. The Mothership is callin’ my name.”

Squaw Valley is the only Tahoe resort open beyond May, but sister resort Alpine Meadows is open Saturdays and Sundays through May 14 and Mount Rose through May 29 Thursday-Sunday.

As of May 1, 2017, the central Sierra snowpack is 202 percent of normal. That’s a big difference from a few years ago – the snowpack was 2 percent of normal on May 1, 2015 and 68 percent of normal last year. This series of satellite images shows t